1 Timothy 3:16 -- The secret to becoming godly, part 1

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV):

"Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
   He appeared in a body,
      was vindicated by the Spirit,
   was seen by angels,
      was preached among the nations,
   was believed on in the world,
      was taken up in glory."

We've been basically talking about how to be a godly leader in 1 Timothy 3 so far. This chapter answers the question for the leader: How do I live and lead in a godly way?

Now Paul talks about "the mystery of godliness," or the secret of how we become godly. We don't do these things on our own. It isn't by our own strength that we become godly, but there is a secret to it...and that Secret is a Person: Jesus Christ.

Paul says this secret is "great." The Greek word is mega. Paul is saying: This is huge! Don't miss this! This is so important!

He lays out the secret to godliness in the form of an early hymn about Christ. Let's looks at each of the 6 lines one day at a time:

Line 1: He "appeared in a body."

Jesus laid down His rights in Heaven and stepped down to earth in the form of a baby. This is what we celebrate this time of the year. It's the Incarnation of Christ. As Pastor Mike says, Jesus put skin on and came down to earth as a man. This line shows us that Jesus was fully man.

Tomorrow we'll look at line 2: "was vindicated by the Spirit."